Apparatus for compressing and pumping air



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. S. SMITH.

APPARATUS FOR OOMPRE SSING AND PUMPING AIR No. 269,730. PatentedDe0.26,1882.

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(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. E. s. SMITH.

APPARATUSFOR GOMPRESSING AND PUMPING AIR.

Patent-ed Dec; 26, "1882.

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ELMER S. SMITH, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO RAY V.PIERCE, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSING AND PUMPING AIR.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Iletters Patent No. 269,730, dated December26, 1882.

Application filed J one 20, 1882. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER. S. SMITH, a citizen of'the United States,residingat Erie,in the countyof Erie and Stateof Pennsylvania,have

invented certain newand useful Improvements in Apparatus for Compressingand Pumping Air; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in l a the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to airpum'ping or compressing engines; anditconsists in improvements in the construction of that class ofairpumping engines wherein the air is expelled from the cylinder orreceiver of the engine by filling said cylinder with water.

The device is intended for use in connection with a water-fall, and forconverting the power there exerted into compressed air, which can beconveyed to points remote, and then be applied as a motive power.

The objects and scope of my'invention will fully appear from thefollowing general de- 2' scription and claims.

The device is illustrated in the accompanying drawings as follows:

Figure l is an end view, showing the receivers or cylinders in verticalsection, and parts 0 broken away to show details of construction. Fig. 2is a side view, with parts broken away to show details of construction.

The construction and operation of the deviceis as follows:

Two horizontal cylinders or receivers, A B, are placed side by side.They are made usually of boiler-iron, and are in appearance like twosteam-boilers. They may be of any capacity desired. They are providedwith domes 0 A B. Pipes J, K, and L connect thesedomes with thecompressedair receiver or conduits.

G is the water-supply pipe, which connects with the pipe D, which joinsthe two receivers A and B. Within the pipe D, at each end 5 thereof, andwithin each receiver, are ports D l), which are provided withvalve-seats d (1. Upon a valve-rod, G, adjusted within the pipe D, areplaced two plug-valves, E and F, which are provided with faces to seatupon the seats d (1. These valves are so adjusted upon the rod G thatwhile one valve is seated upon the seat (I in one receiver theothervalve is seated upon the seat d in the other receiver,and thus it isthat the water-supply from pipe 0 can only enter one of the receivers ata time. The' 5 seats d d are on passages leading from the re,- ceiversto pipes I and I,'which lead to apoint below the receivers. When thevalves are off the seats (1 they are on the seats d, and thus when thewater is flowing into a receiver, as in B, the passage past the seat 41is closed, and the water cannot escape there.

The valves E and F are moved by a system of levers, as followsz ln eachof the domes A B are placed floats N, which are connected with a lever,f ,(see Fig. 2,) which is fulcrumed at the opposite end of the receivernear the pipe D, and is connected with a yoke,f, which straddles. thepipe D, and connects with the pivots oftoggle-leversf on the side of thepipe, which are attached at one end to the valves. These toggles have arule-joint, and can only move in one direction, and when they arestraightened they hold the valves firmly to the seats. Whenever thefloat in either receiver is raised, which occurs when the receiver isfull, the lever f raises the toggles f and moves the valves. Wheneverthe valves move in the manner described the inflow otwater is changedfrom one cylinder to the 8;. other, and the cylinder which has just beenfilled at once begins to empty. it is essential that the cylinders emptywith as great rapidity as they fill, and as the inflowing water is underpressure, the discharge-open'in gs should be greater in area than theentrance-passage, so as to insure as rapid emptying as filling.

.The devices for emptying the receivers are as follows: On the bottom ofthe cylinder is a series of valves, 15 1" 2' which are weighted 0 andset upon proper seals. Connected with each of these are levers 1 2 3, bywhich. they can be raised. ()n the ends of these levers are pans I I 1',the first of which is placed under the nozzle of the waste-pipe I, thesecond under the valve i, the third under the valve i. When the valves EFare moved, as

has before been stated, the water can pass out through the pipe I, andin so doing it willfall upon the pan I and depress it, thus opening thevalve 2', which will cause the water to rush out of thatopening and fallupon the pan 1 and draw it down, and thus open the valve 1', which willin the same manner open the valve '17. Thus in rapid succession are allthe valves opened, and kept open as long as there is any water to flowonto the pans. The pan 1' is connected with the lever 1 by a chain, soas ,to hold it down as long as there is any water running onto pan 1'.This is done because the water that runs onto pan 1 comes from themiddle of the cylinder, and hence water does not flow upon it after thecylinder is half emptied. As soon as the cylinder is empty the weight ofthe valves 1' i i will close them.

P is an air-inlet valve, and 7." I: are checkvalves in the air-pipes.

In Fig. 2, in addition to the parts shown in Fig.1, there is shown anair-reservoir and pressure-regulator, B, located on the watersupply pipeabove the cylinders. The water flows freely into this reservoir at thebottom thereof. A pipe, S, connects with the top of this chamber andextends to the air-pipe L. At the pointof connection of this pipe S withthe reservoir there is located a. check-valve, which opens into thechamber R, sothataircan pass into it and out of it, but closes-bya floatwhen the water reaches it, and thus prevents any escape of water at thatpoint. As the reservoir is above the cylinders, the pressure of water init is not quite as strong as in the cylinders A and B, and consequentlynotquite as strong as the pressure of air may be in the pipe L, andhence the air may be forced into this reservoir and displace the watermore or less. At each change which takes place in the filling of thecylinders A and B, there is an interval of no pressure of air into thepipe L, and consequently, if a consumption of air is going on at theother end ot' the pipe L, there would be a fluctuation of pressure inthat pipe; but when the reservoir 1 is used there is a reserve supply ofair, under nearly the same pressure from the water as there is from oneof the cylinders, and the result is that pressure of air in the pipe Lis kept at about the same uniformity as if there were three cylinders sotimed in their action as to have no interval of non pressure betweentheir alternate action.

The operation of the device it is believed will be fully understood fromthe foregoing description, and need notbe repeated.

My device can be applied whenever there is a fall of water sufficient tofill the cylinders; but of course the greater the fall the greater theprcssurc of air that can be obtained. The device can be used when it isimpracticable to use any form of water-wheel, and where airhlowing isthe prime object of course this device would be much preferable to theuse of water-wheels and air-compressors operated thereby, as it is muchcheaper and more effective.

It is not essential that the construction shown he followed in allparticulars. The cylinders may be vertical, and then would need nodomes, and the float N may be directly over the valves E and Band thetoggles by which the valve is moved, and then the leverf need not beused.

hat I claim as new is 1. In an air compressing or pumping apparatus, thecombination, substantially as herein set forth, of the followingelements: the cylinders A and B, with domes A and B, the water-supplypipe 0, with branch pipe D, having ports D D within said cylinders, andcontaining the valve-rod G, with valves E and- F thereon operating uponseats d d and d d, and means for operating the valve-gear.

2. In an air compressing or pumping apparatus, the combination,substantially as'herein setv forth, of the following elements: thecylinders A and B, with domes A and B, the ain pipes J and K, withcontained valves 7. k, the miter-supply pipe 0, the pipe D, with portsI) D, the valve-rod G, with valves E and I", having seats dd (1 (1, andmeans for operating the valve.

3. In an air compressing or pumping apparatus, the combination, with twocylinders, of a single water-supply pipe, 0, having a branch pipeentering each of said cylinders, said branch pipe being provided withports I) I), having seats 6? d and d d, and contained valves E and F,mounted on a single valve-rod, G, and of means foroperating'the valves,substantially as set forth.

4. In an air compressing or pumping apparatus, the combination, with thecylinders A and B, supply-pipe O, and branch pipe I), of the valves Eand F, toggles c and f, lever f, and floats N, substantially as and forthe purposes mentioned.

5. In an air compressing or pumping apparatus, the combination, with thecylinders A and B, of the dnmp-valves i, 'i, and t the levers 1 2 3,pans I I I, and the waste-pipes I, substantially as and l'orthe purposessetforth.

6. In an air compressing or pumping apparatus, the combination, with thewater-supply pipe and the air-conduit, of the reservoir It, pipes 0 andS, connecting said reservoir with said water-pipe and air-conduit,respectively, said pipe S being provided with a check-valve, r,substantially as and for the purposes mentioned.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ELHER S. SMITH.

Witnesses:

JNo. K. HALLOCK, JACOB F. WAL'rnnn.

